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en-usCopyright 2015 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.tuaw.com/2015/01/15/spyglass-a-full-featured-nav-app-for-outdoor-enthusiasts/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=TUAW.com&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.tuaw.com/2015/01/15/spyglass-a-full-featured-nav-app-for-outdoor-enthusiasts/http://www.tuaw.com/2015/01/15/spyglass-a-full-featured-nav-app-for-outdoor-enthusiasts/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=TUAW.com#commentsSpyglass (U.S. $3.99 on sale) is a really complete GPS toolkit for people spending time outdoors or doing off-road navigation. Features are numerous; among them are a heads-up display, a high quality compass with map overlays, a gyrocompass, speedometer, altimeter, astronomical object finder, a sextant, inclinometer, and angular calculator and more.

The app makes use of every sensor in your iOS device in a simple to use package. Waypoints can be saved and navigated to by following a simple pointer. Spyglass can track multiple destinations at the same time, and display distances, direction, azimuth, elevation and ETA. A rangefinder measures distances to distant objects. The app can utilize your camera to provide photos with data overlays.

Hikers and others going off-road will really be excited about this app. It has a myriad of functions all wrapped up in one place.

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I tried the app and found it useful, even in urban life. You won't get the most from the app without reading the instructions, and there are some nice videos available as well. This isn't a typical navigation app with streets and hamburger joints; it's a sophisticated tool for finding your way when there are no roads or obvious checkpoints.

It's customizable, even to the colors of the displays and the filters over your live picture -- for use at night, for example.

I do a lot of landscape photography that involves some hiking and car locating. Spyglass was a trustworthy companion for that endeavor, including estimating my altitude and distance to destinations. Getting back to my car was easy, just a matter of following an on-screen pointer.

If Spyglass interests you, there are online videos and a manual you can check before you buy. Spyglass needs iOS 6.1 or later, it's universal and therefore friendly with all iOS hardware, and it's optimized for the iPhone 5.

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bikinghikingiOSiPadiPhoneiPodnavigationreviewSpyglassThu, 15 Jan 2015 19:00:00 -050016|21130468http://www.tuaw.com/2014/12/09/maps-3d-pro-is-a-best-in-class-gps-nav-app-for-outdoor-enthusias/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=TUAW.com&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.tuaw.com/2014/12/09/maps-3d-pro-is-a-best-in-class-gps-nav-app-for-outdoor-enthusias/http://www.tuaw.com/2014/12/09/maps-3d-pro-is-a-best-in-class-gps-nav-app-for-outdoor-enthusias/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=TUAW.com#comments
There are so many navigation apps available now that one can wish for a navigation app just to find one in the app store. Most are variations on a theme; get from point A to point B efficiently, with information about stops along the way.

Maps 3D PRO (U$4.99) is a entirely different animal. Designed for hikers, cyclists, skiers and outdoor activities, the app provides 2D and 3D map views that show details of terrain and altitude. The app can give a generic and not-too-detailed view of anywhere in the world, but the real power comes when you select an area and download any of 11 types of maps for that area. That means you can use the app with no data service, so it's perfect for those out of the way places. Of course GPS works anywhere, so your position will be right on the detailed map. Maps include detailed NASA satellite views, 3D topographic maps, Open Street Maps for city navigation, USGS maps and more. It's a really strong selection.

Once you have your maps installed, you can add up to 20 waypoints and Maps 3D PRO helps you follow a trail, road, or any route you select. You can find locations by searching, and view the terrain in 2D or 3D. The 3D is beautifully rendered, and you can zoom and rotate.

When you are on your way, the app displays distance travelled and current and average speeds. A logger function records your position and altitude. Your tracks can be shared via email, Facebook and Twitter, and you can load routes via iTunes, EveryTrail, email or Dropbox.

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It's a great app for geocachers, horseback riders, cross country skiers, and anyone else who loves being outdoors. I've noted some good photo-spots, and the app gives me an excellent view of the surrounding terrain. I haven't seen a better app for outdoor hiking or activities. It's well thought out, and easy to use in the field without a bunch of confusing options or menus, yet it is powerful.

For a person wanting to get beyond street maps and get off-road, this is a perfect app, yet it has excellent city details as well. The only thing I would change is where the search function sits -- it's one menu below the main screen, and I'd love for it to be located on the main screen.

Maps 3D PRO would be a great gift for the outdoor-type person in your life, or a great gift for yourself. Over the holidays you may indulge in skiing, cycling or hiking, and this is a terrific app for those activities.

Maps 3D PRO is a 22MB download, but data requirements grow as you download those detailed maps. The app requires iOS 7 or later, and it is optimized for the iPhone 5.

Walking into the wilderness with a complete stranger might sound like the beginning of a slasher movie, but that's exactly the point of hikewith.me, an upcoming app that lets outdoor enthusiasts connect and meet up for their own adventures. The app uses a questionnaire system similar to some dating apps, only instead of matching you with potential mates based on relationship metrics, it matches you with other nature lovers to schedule co-op hiking dates.

What's particularly unique about hikewith.me is that it emphasizes all communication take place outside of the app itself. There's no way to carry on a conversation with your matches from within the app, which may or may not be a great idea. On one hand it's smart to push people to interact face-to-face and make plans for the outdoor activities the app revolves around, but on the other hand, if the first time you converse with a stranger comes just before walking into the woods or up an mountain with them, your chances of ending up on a forensic murder show might spike a bit.

If your idea of an outdoor adventure is riding your bike through the park, or taking a long leisurely walk then Adidas Outdoor Magazine app is not for you. This free iPad only app appears in your Newsstand and presents you with real adventures in paragliding, mountain climbing, slack lining, kayaking, and loads of other adrenaline rushing activities made for the true extreme outdoors enthusiast.

Adidas Outdoor Magazine is published four or five times a year. Each issue contains about a half dozen in-depth articles detailing specific adventure activities plus interviews with professionals and other everyday adventure seekers like yourself. Users will find some wonderful photos and thrilling videos with each article. The videos are often worth a look just on their own. Additionally Adidas runs brief articles promoting some of its product line.

The current October 2014 issue contains stories about a variety of climbing expeditions. You will find a story about a mountain climbing adventure in Oman and an article revealing the sense of happiness a couple felt after scaling a 2800 foot stone wall that climbs straight up out of the Brazilian jungle into the bright sunlight, plus others and a column by experienced mountaineer Reinhold Messner detailing his attempts over the last four decades to climb some of the world's most difficult and dangerous peaks in the middle of the winter while facing rocks covered in snow and ice, 50 mph winds and temperatures that hovered around forty degrees below zero.

The Adidas Outdoor Magazine app also has a library of back issues. Users get free access to all the issue back to early 2012. In these issues you will find even more exciting adventures detailed in words, pictures, and video.

So what if you aren't a big time thrill seeker who can't wait to be walking over a single line anchored a thousand feet over a gorge or to be rushing down a raging river with nothing to protect you but a thin shelled kayak and your own skills. I certainly fit into that category but I found the articles and pictures contained in this app to be fascinating. The Adidas Outdoor Magazine app articles are well written and bring an element of the excitement the adventurers feel right to the readers and as I mentioned before the photos and videos are top notch.

Adidas Outdoor Magazine app is worth a look so you can live vicariously through the adventures of others. One point to note though. While some of the content downloaded quickly, others were very slow and some stopped during the download. I received a server error message a couple of times so it might have been a server issue the day I checked out the app.

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base jumpingextreme sportshikingiPadkayakingmountain hikingoutdoor adventuresparaglidingreviewrock climbingslack liningTue, 14 Oct 2014 16:30:00 -040016|20977314http://www.tuaw.com/2014/07/01/group-gps-is-a-great-app-for-hikers-bikers-and-those-wanting-t/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=TUAW.com&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.tuaw.com/2014/07/01/group-gps-is-a-great-app-for-hikers-bikers-and-those-wanting-t/http://www.tuaw.com/2014/07/01/group-gps-is-a-great-app-for-hikers-bikers-and-those-wanting-t/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=TUAW.com#commentsGroup GPS (free) is one of those "Gee, I wish I had thought of this" apps. To get started, you sign up for a free account by supplying a user name and an email address. Create an activity, like 'bike race' or 'desert hike,' and send an invitation to your friends. If they don't have Group GPS, they get a text message with a download link. When everyone responds, you'll see each person identified on a map, and their movements update as they move around. I can think of lots of applications, like meeting friends at a location and seeing that they are on the way, finding people at a concert, car rallies, almost anything.

When the activity is done, just stop Group GPS and you're removed from the activity. You can also pause the app anytime and return. The map can be zoomed in for more detail on a single position, or zoomed out to see everyone else's location.

The Group GPS account was easy to sign up for. It doesn't matter where the other people are; even if they are in another state, you'll see the map stitch to fit everyone, and you can watch your group converge. Apps like Glympse are perfect for letting people know where you are and your ETA. Group GPS lets everyone in a group know where everyone else is. In testing the app, I noted that the position updates aren't in real time, more like once a minute or so. This was likely done by the developer to preserve battery life, although I'd like to see an option to step up the update frequency. The app is ad-supported, but the ads are not invasive or distracting. Having said that, I'd be glad to see a paid version with no ads and a few new features, like being able to message the group from within the app.

If you'd like to see the app in action, you can check out a video on the developer website. A similar free app is FastWhere, which also does location sharing.

Group GPS is a really great idea, and I think most people will find some good uses for it. The app requires iOS 7.1 or later. It's not universal, but it is optimized for the iPhone 5.

BioLite has been recharging smartphones, action cams and GPS units via camp stove fire since 2012, but now it's offering a larger model that will grill enough grub to feed your entire crew. The BaseCamp stove offers the same heat-to-electricity conversion, but with a much larger cooking surface for grilling dinner (up to eight burgers at a time) for more than just a pair of weary hikers. The built-in power pack has been upgraded as well, generating 5W and storing power for juicing up devices during dessert alongside a UI that gauges temperature and displays the amount of electricity being generated. Need to use a pot to boil water? That cooking surface can wrangle the flame for optimal output with the flip of a lever. If all of that sounds too good to pass up, units are set to ship in September and you can one for $299 during the company's Kickstarter effort.

Kamino is a new free app that is making its debut at Macworld/iWorld 2014. Described as an "urban discovery app", the idea behind Kamino is that people who enjoy walking or hiking around their urban homes can capture those hikes and share them with others. If you're visiting a city on vacation or just want to learn more about your own surroundings, Kamino can help to provide you with some good walking ideas.

We caught up with the Kamino team in the Appalooza area at Macworld/iWorld for a quick video interview about what the app does.

Magellan reckons that many smartwatch buyers are fitness mavens, and it's catering to that health-minded audience today with a big upgrade to its Echo Smart Sports Watch. The iOS-compatible wristwear now tracks data for a much wider range of activities beyond running, including golf, hiking and skiing; you won't need a dedicated device or special watch apps to get stats for that black diamond ski run. As before, the Echo offers basic control over both music as well as athletics apps like Strava and Wahoo Fitness. If you're interested giving the upgraded watch a try, you can pick one up today for $149 by itself, or $199 paired with a heart rate monitor. Android users should get Echo support sometime early this year.

You might remember Google's unveiling this spring of the Street View Trekker, a seeming cross between a backpack and Van de Graaff generator that lets the mapping team produce 360-degree imagery where even trikes dare not tread. The portable camera ball is just going on its first trip, and Google has chosen the most natural destination for a novice tourist -- the Grand Canyon, of course. Staffers with Trekkers are currently walking trails along the South Rim of the canyon to provide both eye-level points of reference for wayward hikers as well as some breathtaking, controllable panoramas for those who can't (or won't) make it to Arizona. Once the photos make it to Street View sometime in the undefined near future, it'll be that much easier to turn down Aunt Matilda's 3-hour vacation slideshow.

As Contour continues to do battle with GoPro over the action-sport POV camera market, its latest offensive centers around prepackaged activity-specific mount kits that should make it easier for customers to pick one up and go. Also new is an all-in-one ContourRoam watersports kit that includes the HD camera and waterproof case that's capable of keeping it dry at depths of up to 60m. The mount kits include sets for skiers, cyclists, motorcyclists, hikers and an all purpose helmet mount kit. All of these are available starting today on the company's website and at select retailers, with the mount kits going for between $59 - $99 and the Roam Watersports kit for $249. We appreciated the Contour+'s sleek package in our head to head test with the Hero 2 last month and the addition of these packages should help it compete on price and ease of use right out of the box. The specific details are in the press release after the break and pictures of each set are in the gallery below, assuming your hobbies are exciting enough to merit recording, of course.

Move over, My Tracks -- you've got serious company. Google's own adventure tracking app just got majorly one-upped by a company that also happens to make heated jackets. Columbia's just-launched GPS Pal app is not only available on both Android and iOS, but it's actually designed to be used with a user account so that activity logs are neatly housed in a searchable, organized portal. It's free to download, and aside from monitoring your hikes and treks via GPS, it also syncs photos, videos, and trail information to a web journal automatically, complete with pinpoint geotagging information on each piece of media.

As for data points? It'll keep track of elevation changes, current speed and distance traveled, and it makes sharing said trips to social networks quite the lesson in simplicity. Naturally, you'll need a data connection in order to upload media while on the trail -- something that's often hard to find -- but at least the app tells you how poor (or great) your GPS signal is at all times, which is all that's required to keep track of your actual steps. Head on past the break for a promo video, or hit the links below to grab it for your platform of choice.

After tooling up a team of hikers with an impressive camera tripod and unleashing them on the likes of the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone Park, Nature Valley has published its fully rotational Trail Views online. You'll be able to effortlessly follow several routes across the great American countryside and for those too lazy to even click the forward arrow, there's an autoplay mode. Three different locations -- with multiple trails -- are online now and you can check out how the granola-grinding company captured it all right after the break.

One time when I was day hiking Mount Washington, I took a wrong turn at the top and went down the wrong way. I raced down the mountain, but still had to navigate some rough terrain for a few hours in the dark. This was the late nineties. I had a phone, but it didn't get coverage and phones back then didn't have a flash for light.

That was then, and this is now. Today, hiking in the woods is much safer thanks to improved cellular coverage and smartphones with apps. Based on this story from Jonathan Anker of HLNtv, I'm sure Christopher Tkacik of Maryland would agree.

Mr Tkacik was out walking his dog on New Years Eve when he got lost in the woods surrounding Catoctin Mountain. After several hours of wandering around, he used his iPhone to call for help. He was instructed to stay where he was and wait for rescue. To help the rescue team find him, he didn't start an old-fashioned fire; he used a flashlight app as a beacon to attract them to his location. Tkacik and his dog made it out of the woods without injury, and he was home in time to keep his New Year's Eve plans.

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911flashlighthikingiphoneodds and endsOddsAndEndssafetyWed, 04 Jan 2012 11:00:00 -050016|20140038http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/27/nature-valley-creating-street-view-style-tour-of-national-parks/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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"There's a good reason why Street View is done in cars." That's a quote from Mat Bisher, associate creative director at McCann, who is teaming up with granola connoisseur Nature Valley in order to deliver a "Street View-style tour" of America's National Parks. Fast Company reports that the two have embarked on quite the ambitious initiative (dubbed Trail View), sending a cadre of well-trained hikers to some of America's most gorgeous locales with specially-rigged camera setups in tow. The goal? To capture views from near-limitless hiking trails, and bring them to your web browser starting in February 2012. Sadly, it won't be integrated into any of the platforms already in existence; it'll be its own standalone thing, but hopefully the likes of Microsoft or Google will take notice and either contribute or convert it. We're told that "layers for user-generated content, social networking and mobility, and perhaps form partnerships with travel sites" are on tap, and yes, Woodrow Wilson's ghost has purportedly approved.

Update: We've added a few shots of the actual capturing in the gallery below.

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conceptgrand canyonGrandCanyonhikehikingmapmapsMcCann EricksonMccannEricksonnational parknational park serviceNationalParkNationalParkServiceNature ValleyNatureValleystreet viewStreetViewtrailTrail ViewTrailViewtraveltravelingususaWoodrow WilsonWoodrowWilsonThu, 27 Oct 2011 09:02:00 -040021|20090863http://www.tuaw.com/2011/09/08/5-iphone-apps-for-hiking/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=TUAW.com&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.tuaw.com/2011/09/08/5-iphone-apps-for-hiking/http://www.tuaw.com/2011/09/08/5-iphone-apps-for-hiking/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=TUAW.com#commentsNow that the weather is cooling down here in the States, it's time to spend some time outdoors. I love a good hike, and they're made even more enjoyable with a good app by my side. Track distance, brag about your workout or even find a hidden "treasure" during your excursion with these apps. Have fun (all prices are USD).

I used iMapMyHIKE all summer. When you start out, launch the app and note your location. As you move, the app tracks your course. It's fun to see where you've traveled as well as build a real-time map back to your starting point, should you get confused.

Of course, that's just the beginning. You can share your hiking stats with friends (like distance travelled, pace and so on), spot hiking companions running the app on a map and log your data to keep track of your outdoor workouts. It's a lot of fun and was a good companion this summer.

Here's a two-for-one deal. BoxFinder and Geocaching are apps for letterboxing and geocaching, two similar hunt-and-find games that can enhance any hike. Geocaching is the practice of finding small boxes (often Tupperware containers) that have been hidden at specific geographic coordinates around the world. Each typically contains a log book and other goodies.

Letterboxing is similar, but directed at kids. Upon finding a letterbox, the "hunter" marks its logbook with his signature "stamp," while placing the box's stamp in her own log book.

Both apps make the adventures much easier and enjoyable. Since the iPhone 4 is a GPS receiver, finding that box is quite easy. Use the coordinates, description and virtual logs left by other "players" to find just what you're looking for. Both apps offer to find boxes within your area and, in my experience, excel at directing you right to them. If you're interested in either of these pastimes, grab these apps. They truly enhance the experience.

When I was a Boy Scout, I loved making casts of animal tracks we found in the woods. Today my own kids like finding them, too, but I'm out of practice and can't identify them as reliably as I used to. Fortunately, MyNature Animal Tracks is here to help.

This great little app features a huge database of animal tracks, both hind and forepaws. When you come across a track, perform a quick search to find what you're looking for. Once you have, the app provides an image of the animal, plus its gate, call and typical range.

Best of all, the data is all within the app so it works without an Internet connection -- a likely scenario in the middle of the woods.

Staying overnight? Then you must have this with you. There are plenty of astronomy apps out there but this one never fails to impress. When pointed at the sky, Star Walk identifies the stars, planets and other heavenly bodies overhead (including satellites!). It's extremely impressive.

As you slowly move it across the sky, Star Walk points out what you're looking at. A search feature will guide you to a certain object with an arrow. For example, type "Mars" and the app prompts you to face the right direction.

There's also a calendar of celestial events for planning purposes and a red-light "night mode" to preserve your dark vision. It's one of the first apps I use to show off my iPhone (iPad, too).

There you have five great apps to accompany you in the great outdoors. One more thing -- grab an environment-resistant case while you're at it. The rivers, streams and hard rocks are pretty, but they don't care a tinker's cuss about your iPhone.

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5 apps5Appsappsfive appsFiveAppshikingiPhonesoftwareThu, 08 Sep 2011 15:00:00 -040016|20037630http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/19/bushnell-backtrack-d-tour-personal-gps-takes-you-home-shows-you/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/19/bushnell-backtrack-d-tour-personal-gps-takes-you-home-shows-you/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/19/bushnell-backtrack-d-tour-personal-gps-takes-you-home-shows-you/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsWe've seen our fair share of uncomplicated (and under-featured) GPS units, but the Bushnell BackTrack D-Tour throws in just enough tricks to make our inner techno-mountain-man salivate. The D-Tour does away with onboard maps and turn-by-turn directions for five simple waypoints and a digital compass. Lose your way? Just follow the arrow back to the campsite. When you get home, you can dump your hiking data into Bushnell's map application, which will show you exactly where you've been, how far you traveled, and how fast you trekked. Its also a built in digital compass, clock, thermometer, and altimeter. Not too shabby, but a bit steep at $120, considering you'll still need to provide your own maps. Hit the break for a video of the doodad's track recording and mapping software.

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altimeterbacktrack d-tourBacktrackD-tourbushnellbushnell backtrackbushnell backtrack d-tourbushnell d-tourBushnellBacktrackBushnellBacktrackD-tourBushnellD-tourclockcompassd-tourdigital compassDigitalCompassgpsgps trackingGpsTrackinghikingmapping softwareMappingSoftwarethermometervideowaypointwaypointsSun, 19 Jun 2011 04:38:00 -040021|19970309http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/07/delormes-inreach-two-way-gps-communicator-receives-txts-on-moun/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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Until Delorme's inReach two-way GPS Communicator, sending text messages over satellite signals was mostly a one-way affair. This 4.78 by 2.85 by 1.73-inch battery-powered minibeast pairs with either the company's PN-60w or an Android OS device to send and receive 160-character text messages and real-time GPS data to those tracking you. It can also beam an SOS message at timed intervals then receive confirmation that help is on the way when you ultimately realize that being at home with a fast connection is really all the adventure you needed anyway. Delorme tells us that the inReach will be available in October for $250 and monthly plans start at $9.95 with a one-year contract.

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androiddelormedelorme pn-60wDelormePn-60wgpsgps communicatorGpsCommunicatorhikingsatellitetexttext messagestextingTextMessagesTue, 07 Jun 2011 05:46:00 -040021|19958570http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/22/dear-aunt-tuaw-why-gps/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=TUAW.com&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/22/dear-aunt-tuaw-why-gps/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/22/dear-aunt-tuaw-why-gps/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=TUAW.com#comments
Normally readers write directly to Aunt TUAW using our tips line or feedback form. But today, we're switching things up a bit. Instead, Auntie is responding to a comment left on her last post about whether you should buy the Wi-Fi only iPad or wait for the 3G version. That's because Aunt TUAW has a bug up her sleeve about GPS and its role on the iPhone, the iPad, and its tie to social media. Without further ado, here's today's "letter" and Auntie's response.

Dear Aunt TUAW,

I'm on Facebook, but why do people need to read Facebook updates when they're traveling? Whatever happened to looking out the window at new places? And geez, how about a simple paper map?!?

If I have to go somewhere new, I print out a Google map before the trip or bring the old Rand-McNally. I may be weird, but look at all the dough I saved. :-)

I live in northern New Mexico with wilderness available just a few miles outside of town. We hike and walk everywhere, assuming the MUD isn't so bad. I've never used an iPhone or a GPS device of any kind.

What I'm wondering is, just why do people have those things? Seriously. Is it just a game? I take hikes in the backcountry with a compass and a topo map, just like in the old days with the Boy Scouts. :-) I can look at a hillside and point to where it is on the map. I almost always know where I am. So what is it about living in a city, forgodssakes, that makes one addicted to GPS??? Aren't there street signs? If you didn't have GPS, would you just sit down on the curb and have a nervous breakdown?!?

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3GSadviceadvice-opinionApp StoreAppStoreAunt TUAWAuntie TUAWAuntieTuawAuntTuawcitycountrydesignGPShikingiPadiPhoneopinionpossibilitiesramblingwalkingMon, 22 Feb 2010 15:15:00 -050016|19368442http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/20/use-your-iphone-to-scare-a-bear-right-before-it-eats-you/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=TUAW.com&ncid=rss_semi
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Thanks to Stephen Colbert, we've become acutely aware of the dangers of bears, the "soulless, godless, rampaging killing machines" who patrol the forests of North America and prey on unwary hikers (some potentially not-safe-for-work language on that last site, FYI). Until now, your best defense against these furry terrors has been simply avoiding their killing grounds altogether. But Flying Jalapeño Software has introduced the latest weapon in the arsenal against the ursine menace: ScareBear Trail Companion [iTunes link].

ScareBear Trail Companion is an iPhone app that replicates the sounds of bells, clapping, and rocks in a tin can (yes), all of which are supposedly like kryptonite to bears and will scatter them from your path before you even encounter them. Should you happen to come across a bear immune to these charms and wards, ScareBear Trail Companion still has you covered - in an emergency, you can use the app to sound an emulated air horn, which may terrify the creature and send it scurrying away.

There's only three slight weaknesses with this app that I can foresee. First is that it depends on your iPhone having a charge. If your iPhone's battery goes dead in the woods, listen for the spooky soundtrack cues, because that is surely the very instant a bear will charge you from the undergrowth. Second, it takes a lot of concentration on your part to find and launch the app, wait for it to load, and then press the button to make noise; even if you can keep your wits about you when half a ton of teeth and fur is rearing up before you, anything slower than an iPhone 3GS will probably cost you critical seconds. By the time the app launches, you may already be halfway down the bear's esophagus.

Third, and most damaging to the utility of this app, the iPhone's speaker simply isn't all that loud. I've generally found that even at the highest volume, I'll often miss hearing my iPhone's ringtone in a noisy environment - and environments don't come much noisier than a roaring, hungry monster like the one pictured above. Bears may or may not have more sensitive hearing than humans; no one knows for sure, as all attempts to scientifically study these brutal creatures have ended in tragedy, with laboratories leveled to dust upon the bears' inevitable escape from their bonds.

In any case, ScareBear Trail Companion probably isn't going to save your life from a bear. If anything, it'll probably just irritate it and make it angrier. You'd probably do more damage to the bear with your iPhone if you fed it to him. I haven't been able to test ScareBear Trail Companion myself, as there are no bears in New Zealand outside of zoos. As a matter of fact, that's part of why I moved here. Safe at last.

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app reviewAppReviewbearshikingiPhoneiPod touchIpodTouchWed, 20 Jan 2010 19:30:00 -050016|19324803http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/05/columbia-bugathermo-hiking-boots-are-heated-rechargeable/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/05/columbia-bugathermo-hiking-boots-are-heated-rechargeable/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/05/columbia-bugathermo-hiking-boots-are-heated-rechargeable/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
If you live in the northern hemisphere then you've already felt it; the cold chill that signals the onset of nature's respite. So while not slip into these Columbia Bugathermo "high-performance" hiking boots and give the Earth a trample while its defenses are down? These heated boots feature dual-heating elements with visual indicators for battery and heating levels on the outside of that Omni-Tech waterproof skin. Three temperature settings provide as little as 3-hours, or up to 8-hours, of tootsie toasting heat from the internal lithium polymer batteries. Hell, might as well bring along a gasoline-powered generator so you can recharge 'em and show mother nature her real daddy. $250 and available now.

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bootbugathermocolumbiaheatedheated bootHeatedBoothikingrechargeableshoeMon, 05 Oct 2009 03:27:00 -040021|19184100http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/16/gramins-foretrex-301-and-401-navigators-are-like-pixelated-brea/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/16/gramins-foretrex-301-and-401-navigators-are-like-pixelated-brea/http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/16/gramins-foretrex-301-and-401-navigators-are-like-pixelated-brea/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Get lost easy do ya? Then you'll find Garmin's new Foretrex 301 and Foretrex 401 navigators more handy on the switchbacks than a sack full of Wonder "bread." These wrist-worn GPS navigators feature a rugged, waterproof design and the ability to store up to 500 waypoints and 20 routes that'll help keep you from getting lost in the great outdoors. See, each Foretrex can remember up to 10,000 points of your journey displayed as a dotted trail on the screen. When you've reached your limits, just turn on the TracBak mode and easily double-back to camp or to your vehicle. Both devices are powered by a pair of AAA batteries for about 18-hours of use -- a bit less on the 401 which needs the extra go-juice to power the electronic compass, barometric altimeter, and wireless link back to compatible Garmin devices including heart-rate monitors and cadence sensors. Both incorporate a trip computer, sunrise/sunset and hunting and fishing information with USB tethering to PC or Mac. No word on pricing or release yet but we'll update you when we get it. Foretrex 401 and full press release after the break.

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301401campcampingforetrexforetrex 301foretrex 401Foretrex301Foretrex401gamingpshikingtracbakTue, 16 Jun 2009 07:00:00 -040021|19068444http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/25/get-your-hike-on/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/25/get-your-hike-on/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/25/get-your-hike-on/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Joystiq#comments
Those of you who love to emphasize the portable in the Playstation Portable, iHikes is offering downloads for the nature-enthusiast. Via their site, you can download trail guides and video segments already formatted for your PSP. The only drawback is that these are not free, allowing for single files to be downloaded at 99 cents a piece or an annual fee of $19.95 for unlimited access to their 160+ files.[Image from Cameron's Thoughts]